A conventional single-system numerical control apparatus is configured to have a plurality of control axes being controlled by a machining program and various kind of control signals, as to machine one single product or a plurality of identical products.
When an operator operates the operation board provided with a display to input signals into the apparatus, the apparatus selects, by the inputted signals, an operation mode from either an automatic operation mode such as a memorized operation mode or an MDI (manual data input) operation mode, or a manual operation mode such as a jog-move mode, a handle-move mode, an incremental-move mode, a manual arbitrary move mode, or a return-to-referential-position mode, and performs operation in each of the operation modes with predetermined control signals to operate the modes being inputted (for example, when in the jog-move mode, an axis selection signal and a manual-move-speed-specifying signal).
Here, the automatic operation means to automatically operate a numerical control machine tool with an NC machining program; the manual operation means that an operator manually operates the numerical control machine tool by operating manual handles and various kinds of buttons provided on the mechanical operation board.
Moreover, the memorized operation mode in the automatic operation means that when a startup button is pushed, an NC machining program that has been stored in advance in a memory is read out from the memory and then the automatic operation of the numerical control machine tool is performed according to the NC machining program. The MDI operation means that the automatic operation is performed according to an NC machining program that has been inputted from an MDI keyboard into a CNC.
The jog-move mode in the manual operation mode means a move mode in which, when an operator pushes a manual move button, a designated control axis is moved at a predetermined speed; the handle-move mode means a move mode in which the operator moves a designated control axis by rotating a manual handle generate instruction pulses; the incremental-move mode means a move mode in which a control axis is moved by a predetermined quantity every time the operator pushes a pushbutton; the manual arbitrary move mode means a move mode in which a designated control axis is moved to a predetermined position when the operator pushes a startup button; the return-to-referential-position mode means a move mode in which a designated control axis is moved to a reference position when the operator pushes a return-to-referential-position button.
In contrast to the above, a multi-system numerical control apparatus is provided with a plurality of control system sets such as described above, and they are implemented within a unit of hardware; each of the systems is controlled by independent machining programs and control signals, so that the apparatus can machine one or a plurality of identical/different products, by the plurality of the control systems (refer to Patent document 1, for example).
For example, in a two-system numerical control apparatus, as illustrated in FIG. 11, the apparatus is configured to include a PLC controller 20, a first-system controller 71 that controls a first system, a second-system controller 72 that controls a second system, Axis Controller 3, and Axis Controller 4 through 11 and 12 through 19.
Here, the first-system controller 71 and the second-system controller 72 include operational mode selectors 71A and 72A, respectively, for selecting either manual operation mode or automatic operation mode, manual operation controllers 71B and 72B, respectively, for taking control of manual operations according to a manual operation mode selected for each, and automatic operation controllers 71J and 72J, respectively, for automatically controlling according to an automatic operation mode selected for each.
Moreover, the manual operation controllers 71B and 72B include, for each of the systems, jog-move controllers 71C and 72C; handle-move controllers 71D and 72D; incremental move controllers 71E and 72E; manual arbitrary move controllers 71F and 72F; return-to-referential-position controllers 71G and 72G; and manual operation interpolation controllers 71H and 72H, respectively.
Also, the automatic operation controllers 71J and 72J include, for each of the systems, memorized operation controllers 71K and 72K; MDI operation controllers 71L and 72L; analytic processors 71M and 72M that perform analysis of machining programs 73 and 74, for each of the systems, being read thereinto; and automatic operation interpolation controllers 71N and 72N, respectively.
The operator operates an operation board provided with display so as to input from the PLC controller 20 into the first-system controller 71 and the second-system controller 72 signals including a signal for selecting either a manual operation mode or an automatic operation mode, a signal for selecting either the memorized operation mode or the MDI operation mode in automatic operation mode, and signals in manual operation mode such as a manual-operation-mode selecting signal, an arbitrary-axis selection signal, a manual-move-speed instructing signal, a manual operation reset signal, a move-magnification factor signal, axial move data, and a manual-arbitrary-move modal signal. Thereby, according to the mode that has been selected for each of the systems, the specific axes allocated to each of the systems are operated independently of each other of the systems, either in an automatic mode such as the memorized mode or the MDI mode, or a manual mode such as the jog-move mode, the handle move mode, the incremental move mode, the manual arbitrary move mode, or the return-to-referential-position mode. Interpolation controllers 71H, 71N, 72H, and 72N of each of the systems output shift quantity by which each axis is moved, and that is outputted, via Axis Controller 3, to a predetermined controller among Axis Controller 4 through 11 and 12 through 19.
An NC-reset signal 75 is inputted into the first system controller 71 from the PLC controller 20, and an NC-reset signal 76 is inputted into the second system controller 72 from the PLC controller 20. Here, the NC-reset signal 75 to the first system controller 71 and the NC-reset signal 76 to the second system controller 72 are independent of each other; therefore, the NC-reset signal 75 outputted into the first system controller 71 does not affect the second system controller 72, and the NC-reset signal outputted into the first system controller 72 does not affect the second system controller 71 either.
When the conventional multi-system numerical control apparatus runs machining programs for a plurality of systems at one time, the apparatus can combine predetermined axes so as to perform machining operation, while exchanging axes among the systems such that arbitrary control axis can be instructed from a machining program of any system (refer to Patent document 1, for example).
In case of a multi-system numerical control machine tool illustrated in FIG. 12, for example, a system 1 is configured with a first axis of Axis X1, a second axis of Axis Z1, and a third axis of Axis C1; and a system 2 is configured with first axis of Axis X2, a second axis of Axis Z2, a third axis of Axis C2, and a fourth axis of Axis V2. Axis X1 and Axis Z1 move a first tool slide 51, Axis X2 and Axis Z2 move a second tool slide 52. Also, Axis C1 rotates a first spindle 54, and Axis C2 rotates a second spindle 55. Axis V2 moves the second spindle 55 in Z-directions. Here, in FIG. 12, numerals ‘56’ and ‘57’ indicate workpieces.
Usually, the system 1 performs machining operation with a combination of the first tool slide 51 and the first spindle 54, and the system 2 performs with a combination of the second tool slide 52 and the second spindle 55; however, machining operation may sometimes be performed with a combination of the first tool slide 51 and the second spindle 55, or with a combination of the second tool slide 52 and the first spindle 54. In that case, by instructions for exchanging axes from the programs, Axis C1 for the system 1 and Axis C2 for the system 2, for example, are exchanged for each other so that automatic operation can be performed by configuring the system 1 with Axis X1, Axis Z1, and Axis C2, and the system 2, with Axis X2, Axis Z2, Axis C1, and Axis V2. Or otherwise, Axis X1 and Axis Z1 for the system are exchanged for Axis X2 and Axis Z2 for the system 2 so that automatic operation can be performed by configuring the system 1 with Axis X2, Axis Z2, and Axis C1, and the system 2, with Axis X1, Axis Z1, Axis C2, and Axis V2.
Patent Documentation 1
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1991-28908 (FIG. 1, FIG. 4)